August 7, 1943

CONSUMER WHISKEY SOURS

Military Production Drinks Up Distilled Spirits

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Production of 190-proof alcohol is up to 250 million gallons this year. Much of this output is due to the absence of whiskey and other distilled spirits from the consumer marketplace. The War Production Board (WPB) issued an order on October 18 of last year that required all distillery production to be for military uses. Alcohol is used in the production of smokeless powder and synthetic rubber. The powder for a 16-inch gun blast may contain as much as 60 gallons of alcohol. The warehouse stock of distilled spirits for consumer consumption is dwindling, down 18 per cent in the eleven months since the WPB order. Traditional brand-name spirits have all but disappeared from store shelves, replaced by alternatives made from scrap products such as potatoes.